Aren't We Friends?
by Mistrazen
Summary: "Anyway, aren't we friends? Friends always looked after one another, talk to each other and listen to one another! So it's fine!" / Simply enough this is a gender bent fanfiction, so Alternate Universe and so on. Also this is a piacevoleshipping fan-fic. If you don't know what that is search it up/


**Type: **New Journey

**Verse: **GB Alternate Universe

**Main Characters:** Hikaru (male hikari), Touku. (male touko)

**Minor Characters: **Dia (female diamond), Platinum (male platinum), N (fem n)

**Mentions of: **Cheren (female cheren), Albus (male albus), Koumi (female kouki), Junko (female jun), Kyou (female kyouhei)

**Summary:** "_Anyway, aren't we friends? Friends always looked after one another, talk to each other and listen to one another! So it's fine!_"

* * *

**Flashback**

_Prior 2 years earlier_

After heading to Unova on a small research trip he was assigned to, many mishaps began and many misadventures through out his travelling began also. Originally, Hikaru Kuronuma an intern from Sinnoh to Professor Rowan, was going to meet either a girl named Cheren or a boy who's working with the Professor Juniper, named Albus.

Yet ultimately, things were not as it seems, as suddenly those two people that he assumed to work with, were busy with other things on that simple day. Cheren was handling a Gym Leader's exam to get the Aspertia City Gym position and Albus was out on personal reasons, unknown to Hikaru.

The professor apologized to Hikaru constantly and while he was apologizing, he received a call on his x-transceiver from a person that he never thought he never hear of again. The voice was a exciting beat, somewhat jumpy, yet felt so tiring to hear, also somewhat calm and ever easily bored person was the owner of that voice.

The professor blinked twice and thrice while nodding simultaneously many times, while the younger boy was fiddling with his poketch.

"Kuronuma-kun?"

Hikaru blinks at the professor cocking his heads sideways. "What is it?"

"Despite that Cheren-san and Albus-kun are not here, I have someone-"

Before he even finished his sentence, the two were interrupted by a boy a year younger than Hikaru, with brown long hair in a ponytail and blue eyes who looks excited as if something huge happened. He wore a cap with a pokeball insignia and it was pink and white. His jean capris were dirtied and almost ripped with feathers sticking out, and he was wearing a black vest over a white tank top, and black hiking boots with pink laces.

Everything about him screamed, '_I like PINK and I don't care what you say_!'

"PROFESSOR JUNIPER! GUESS WHO'S BACK!" He grinned ear to ear waving at the professor despite being in the same lab as him.

"Hello there, Touku-kun... long time no see... There's no need to yell..."

Touku simply ignored the professor, staring straight at the boy who was slightly taller than him.

'_Who's he...?_'

The said boy had navy, bluish light hair forming a fringe in the front, covering his forehead. Two yellow bobby pins were put on each side of the male's hair, and neck length hair tied at the back. Touku also noticed that he had odd colored eyes of light blue with a tint of of other color and they looked cold and distant.

He was wearing a black sleeveless shirt with a v-shaped cut in the front, with a white shirt under his shirt, and red capris pants and high length boots, with the last thing that amused Touku was the oddly strange hat that is on his head.

"What kind of hat is that supposed to be?" He pointed to the white hat with the pink pokeball insignia on top of the boy's head.

The professor sighed. "Touku..."

"No seriously, what is that hat?"

"Why does it even matter...?"

"Woah, you sound so quiet! I thought you were mute for a second there!"

"There's a difference between mute and being quiet..."

"So you don't like talking that much?"

"Isn't it obvious...?"

"Don't you ever want to shout or—-"

"Touku that's enough. And now time for introductions, shall we?"

The professor was a bit exasperated at the young trainer's banter with the intern.

"Now, stop asking silly questions, Touku. It's nice to have you back after these years, but I can't do anything for you right now. I'm wondering if you would like to take Kuronuma-san. He's an intern of a friend of mine, Professor Rowan of Sinnoh region. I needed someone to take him to where he wants to see, but Albus and Cheren are busy at the moment."

"Soooooooo-?"

"I need you take Kuronuma-san so he can finish his work here."

"Basically I'm your last choice."

"Don't think of it that way."

"Fine."

He turns towards Hikaru once again and gives his hand towards him grinning ear to ear.

"I'm Touku Gray, 16 years old. Once champion of Unova, but now a traveler at his own pace. Nice to meet you and I hope we'll become good friends!"

Hikaru stares at the boy's outstretched hand and shrugged, reaching out to shake his hand.

"Same to you. I'm Hikaru Kuronuma, 17 years old. Just an intern to Professor Rowan of Sinnoh region."

_That was the beginning of the meeting of Touku and Hikaru._

After so much mistakes and mishaps, slight arguments between them, well mostly one-sided annoyance from Hikaru, while Touku seemed to have fun on his own unknowingly annoying Hikaru in the process. Despite getting his work done, he thought he'd never finish with Touku tagging along with him.

After heading to home from the research trip, Hikaru never felt more relieved as he left the region Unova. He didn't hate the region, he thought it was a marvel, but one thing he did disliked ... was that talkative annoying boy ...Touku Gray.

And Hikaru wanted to be far away from him as possible ... but that wasn't quite likely ...

Evening

_Sandgem Town, Sinnoh_

Hikaru felt exhausted.

Usually he never did feel that way, but at the moment he felt ... tired ... and sleepy.

The professor left him alone as she had to head to a meeting composed of professors in a certain region, he didn't quite remember.

The intern had to clean up and head home as the other assistants has left for the evening.

It is a cold winter as of now in Sinnoh, mildly to say it would be freezing but the gentleness of the weather was not that horrible in some parts of the region.

Nevertheless, Hikaru never liked the weather of his region as he felt it was too cold to handle.

Cracking his neck and stretching out, he put on his light red winter jacket on, yawning loudly.

Grabbing his white satchel and looking at his poketch, he looked alarmed at the time.

Stretching out once again, the 19 years old boy grabbed the ring of keys in his other hand and carelessly putting his hat on.

Once outside the laboratory, he locked the door of the lab with the spare keys, he left trudging in the snow towards his house.

Footprints were left on the snowy ground, as he shivered walked on more.

He sighed on knowing what he'll see at home.

His parents were also out on a small expedition trip to Mt. Coronet to understand the source of it's problem, and his dumb little brother will be at home watching TV with no care in the world, while his grandmother will be napping.

The boy goes slower and reaches the front of his house, opening the door with his key. Closing the door behind him, he hears the sound of the TV playing loudly and incessantly, making him cringe slightly.

"Turn the volume down low, Natsu..."

He grits his teeth in annoyance at the loud volume. Yet as always, the brat ignores him anyway. Hikaru goes ahead to the kitchen getting food from the refrigerator and soon heading upstairs to his room.

Now days, it felt boring as ever seeing how Koumi went off somewhere who knows where after being champion.

The champion duties were hard on the girl, but she never said anything about it.

She just went on.

While Jun went with her mother overseeing the Battle Frontiers in Sinnoh and Johto.

And here is he alone in Sandgem Town with his petty job as intern.

He liked his internship, but he felt as it was bland and making him more exhausted than ever.

It's probably because the stupid incident that happened when he was ten.

When it all started when he was just a tag-along to Professor. Rowan. When the journey of two girls of Twinleaf Town just started... and ended with going into chaos with space going awry.

Evening

_Nimbasa City, Unova_

In another region of it's own being called Unova, two old friends were sitting in the Rondez-View Ferris Wheel in Nimbasa City above in the starry evening, looking out the window.

There were soft whispers and loud laughs from that high car. They talked about wishes and what they should have done in the past. All the things to make up the time. All that just to help her out of her shell that she built.

"So... what are you going to do now, N?"

"... I don't know really." She sighs, twiddling her hair. "I w-want to head to that region although. The one with rangers. It seemed like a nice place..."

"Ooooh, those rangers that work with Pokemon and help people when something happens? I got what you mean. It'd fit you!" He nods encouragingly, remembering Alblondy talking about how Rangers seem so cool.

"But I'm not sure... If I can do those things, Touku..."

He sighs and holds her hands into his. "N, you told me to go on and accomplish my goals and dreams which I did, becoming Champion... momentarillyyyyy, until I realized I had another dream."

He gives a small smile. "It was to become truly friends with you and find you and probably help you, if I can help you out. I can't really help people out, but I try my best!"

"Well... I think you are wrong there..." She stops for a moment. "When I came back to Unova and ended up ... erm... "

"What?"

"More or so like being '_captured_' by your two friends, Ren and that boy Albus. Well capture is not the word, but it felt that way. I asked about you to the two of them and they talked about many times you helped them out without knowing..."

The pink hatted boy turned red and looked away being somewhat prideful or something muttering, "That's soooo embarrassing N. Sure I helped them... but I didn't know they appreciated my help..."

"I think you helped a lot, whether you think it didn't help or not, even if they don't show it... it must of helped them a lot at some point, Touku."

"Hmm... That's... true. I never thought of it that way..."

"What about you? What are you going to do?"

"Well... when I was travelling I met an odd couple or friends." He laughs.

"I'm not sure if they were dating. Apparently, way before this girl Mana-tan was this bodyguard or some kind for this dude I also met, named Platinum. His name is so long, N. So I nicknamed him Platz, and he got defensive, and all lot of whole crazy things happened."

"Mana-tan is really, like wow, really nice and all? I wonder how she's able to stick with a guy like Platz, she must have some tolerance or something to deal with him. The two of them are rather friendly with each other, although the Platz is rather a silly tsuntsun."

"Basically, Mana-tan invited me over to Sinnoh to hang out and so she could show me around! I'm really excited about it!"

N was quiet for a moment and asked, "When are you going?"

"Tomorrow morning! When are you going, N?"

"I'm thinking of staying a while... and talk to those kids I met when you were gone. And then probably head off later on..."

"If you're going to do that... Maybe I should give you this then." Touku opened his pack and grabbed out an black x-transceiver and handed towards the taller girl.

"It's for you N. In case you want to keep in contact with me. If you want that is. Because...well, I don't want to chase you around all the time you know!"

"... Thank you."

"Your welcome N. Just don't be a ghost again, okay?"

Touku decided that early morning would be best to set off to Sinnoh.

He'd already prepared his things and he thinks that he'll probably sleep at Mana-tan's place if he can that is. Placing his favorite hat on his head, he walks off from Nuvema Town to the city to catch a ferry to Sinnoh.

He isn't sure if there is a possible ferry, but maybe he can plead with the captain to take him to Sinnoh.

_Or not. _

Luckily, he didn't need to go on knees and plead nor beg to cry out to the captain to get him to Sinnoh. Today apparently was his lucky day. Or he thought.

'_I wonder what Mana-tan is cooking~ I bet she's a great cook!_' He thought as he sat in a open seat near in the back of the ferry. Touku decided that he should have a nice nap for now, seeing it would take a while...

After around 5 or 6 hours, the pink hatted boy was roughly shaken awoke by one of the sailors that were aboard the ship.

"Sire, we are now in Jubilife City, Sinnoh right now."

"H-huh? Oh really?!" He looks around embarrassed getting up and running to the exit of the ferry. Touku apologized rather quickly, and jumped off the ferry landing on the deck. As he did that, he felt like freezing and it was snowing for goodness sake.

Shivering and putting his hands together, he walked towards the city being a bit confused somehow. '_I promised that I would go straight to Twinleaf Town... But where am I?'_

He wouldn't quite admit it, but he was lost. Yep. Totally lost. Touku stares at his X-transceiver wishing that Mana-tan had one so he could contact her.

"Might as well wander a bit!" He dawdles around and randomly heads straight to another direction. Jumping ledges and more ledges and he ends up in a town called Sandgem.

Blinking once, he decides to knock the nearest house for direction. After knocking a few times, he looks around and goes to the Pokemon Center as a way to rest up and letting out his Samurott, Ao to keep him company. He picks out a magazine to read while he becomes bored...

On the other hand, Hikaru was heading to Snowpoint City to the Route 216 to trek towards the Acuity lakefront in order to see the lake that held the legendary Pokemon Acuity, early in the morning. Now he was at the lakefront for a while as the sun rose. It turned into afternoon.

It seemed silly, but he wanted to see it. He took his Pokemon along with him, his former old party of when he was younger. Looking around, he admired the lake and snow surroundings.

"This is where Uxie was at..." He mutters to himself wondering where the said Pokemon had went. He recalls that the three legendary lake Pokemon were captured by Team Galactic, but Koumi freed them not wanting to capture them. Now he sort of wonders where they are now.

Sighing once again, he was freezing despite wearing a bigger coat along with a big white muffler around his neck, with baggy pants. His feet were albeit cold too even if he wore his boots. His hands covered with gloves and eyes covered with ski goggles with his usual hat.

"I left my ski equipment at Pokemon center in Snowpoint City..." He groans a bit. "I wonder if Candice will lend them back to me when I come to Snowpoint again." Rubbing his hands together, he whistles for his Staraptor, Vincent to come.

Soon in a few minutes, Vincent came and swooped in to where his trainer was cawed for his trainer to raise his hand up and Hikaru nodded. Picking up his satchel and carrying it on him, he tightens the belt of the satchel, and raises his hand reaching for Vincent claws, and holding tightly.

"Thanks, Vince. Can you get me to Sandgem Town, but first in front of the Pokemon Center. I need to heal our teammates."

The staraptor simply cawed and went of flying.

Hikaru was never ever going to forget the sight of when he flew with his Staraptor.

The sight was unforgettable even though he flew many times it was amazing.

When they reached his destination, Hikaru returned Vincent into his Pokeball, and walked inside the Center.

Inside there some people sitting down or some people going up the escalator to use the match up room to battle others.

Walking up to the counter, the Nurse Joy smiled at him waving at him.

"Hello, Hikaru-kun! I see you need your Pokemon healed, huh?" She looks at all the Pokeballs as Hikaru set them all on the counter. "Oh, a full party? Did you go anywhere?"

"Hi, Joy-san." He nods. "Oh, uh... I just took a trek to Snowpoint City to see the Acuity Lakefront."

"Is that why you're wearing ski goggles?"

He turns red and puts them up on his forehead. "Yes. I skied to Snowpoint since there was a lot of snow now days but I forgot them at the Pokemon Center at that area."

"Ah? Did you forget it on accident?"

"Actually, I walked towards the Lake Acuity instead of skiing, and I had my Staraptor, Vince take me back here." He shrugs a bit. "I'll get it next time I go back to Snowpoint. I told Candice that I wanted to try skiing so she'll probably keep it in hold for me."

"By the way, do you know how Koumi is doing?"

"Joy-san..."

"I'm curious!"

"Please don't tell me, you think we're a couple..." He rolls his eyes when she flushes. "A commander of Team Galactic named Mars accused us for lollygagging and being a couple while battling."

"That happened?"

"Yep." He waits a few minutes and then a ring.

"Oh there you go! Your pokemon are now healed! But... why does your Kadabra has a scar on its face? Not that it will be permanent. It'll go away soon!"

Hikaru then turned red and muttered, "We ran into a sour Sneasel and scratched Keith up badly. I captured the Sneasel and now it's in the PC."

"Oh..."

While they were still conversing, a loud snore interrupted them and both of them were surprised. Hikaru blinked twice and grabbed his Pokeballs and putting them on his belt as went towards the cause of the sound. Stalking around for a bit, he finds a boy laying down on the bench with a magazine covering his face.

Next to the bench was a flustered Samurott who looked like he was about to face palm in disdain of his trainer.

Hikaru looked confused at the Pokemon and looked towards the Nurse. "Joy-san, who's this Pokemon belong to?" As he asked the Nurse, suddenly his Infernape, Kai came out his Pokeball by himself.

"I think this boy came in earlier this morning saying he was lost and wanted to stay for a while as he get his things together..." She paused for a bit and stared Hikaru's Infernape. "Why is your Infernape out of his ball?"

"Huh? Hey Kai what are you doing!?" He walks towards the infernape, only to be knocked out by the boy's hand as he woke up yawning, stretching his hands out in a fist, unknowingly hit Hikaru in the face.

"Ah, that was a great nap!" He rubs his eyes and cracked his neck twice. "Good mornin' Ao. Hm? What is it buddy?" The Samurott pointed at the clock and then frowned.

"... YIKES! IT'S ALREADY TWO? HOW LONG DID I SLEEP?" He looks around now frenzied like looking for his stuff and as he was about to do that...

Hikaru got up rubbing his nose in annoyance saying at the same time as Touku yelled out. "Who in the right mind sleeps in the Pokemon Center and punches someone in the face as they wake up?"

The two voices came to the two boys in realization who each other was. "It's YOU!" they both yelled out, while Hikaru was more exasperated in saying that and Touku was more excited pointing at the fellow boy.

While one nurse Joy was really mad. **"YOU TWO BOYS OUT OF THE POKEMON CENTER! TAKE YOUR POKEMON OUT TOO IF YOU WANT TO BATTLE. BUT NOT IN THE POKEMON CENTER!**"

Two boys were kicked out along with their belongings and Pokemon too.

"Well that was unexpected." He mutters getting up and grabbing his satchel. "Kai can you return to your Pokeball?" He holds up the Pokeball and the Infernape returns dutifully.

The navy haired boy is about to walk away until, "Hey, Hiku-kyun! Don't just ignore me here!" Touku shouts out loudly, "I'm fr-reezing here...!"

He sighs. "Why did you come to the region of Sinnoh, not knowing that it's winter weather at the moment? It snows regularly at the moment. And at this rate you'll get hypothermia because your clothes are rather too little for this weather."

"Well, I did not know about that!" He tried to warm himself up and rubbed his arms many times. "I come from Unova where's kind of known for it's dysfunctional weather! And for one thing there's ice somewhere around the region..."

Hikaru rolls his eyes and puts down his satchel, taking off his pink, reddish coat and his white muffler. Under the big coat with a long dark blue sweater with long sleeves. His hair that was hidden under his muffler was longer than the last time Touku met him, reaching above his back and tied up.

He tosses both garments at Touku and picks up his satchel.

"There. You have something to wear and it's warm. Are you happy now, Touku?"

Touku stared at Hikaru with his mouth a bit agape, wide open in surprise. "B-but, but, but- What about you? Isn't it cold for you?" He hesitantly put on the jacket and muffler.

"I lived here for more than nineteen years. And it's not that bad as you get used to it." He smirks a bit. "Unlike some people I know."

"HEY!" Touku jumps out with a complaining. "You're so mean spirited to me Hiku-kyun! You were so nice to me when you met me. And whaddya know, Hiku-kyun is actually talking more that the last time we met!"

"That was two years ago."

Not that made any difference. It's true that he never liked talking much. He would say minimal things and not a lot of things. For one thing, he'd always talked to Koumi and Jun, since they were the only he knew...

"Things change over the years, Touku. And I'm not that talkative still."

He walks a bit again and turns around facing Touku frowning.

"And please stop calling me Hiku-kyun."

He starts walking a random direction and Touku follows after him after he returns his Samurott back to it's pokeball.

"But it totally fits you!"

Hikaru ignores that tidbit.

"By the way, why are you in Sinnoh?" Not that he was curious. It really perplexed him why he was even in Sinnoh.

"Oh, yeah, yeah, I got invited here to come to play at Mana-tan's place to hang out with her and eat her food she made." He gives a grin being excited by the prospect. "I haven't tried her food before, but I tried her chocolate before. It was great!"

"... Um, who is this Mana-san?"

"Oh, you never met her? Her real name is Diamond and most people tend to call her Dia, but I think Mana is more cuter nickname though!"

"... Her name is a mineral?" He stares at Touku wondering if he's actually serious. "So why aren't you at her place?"

"Erm the ferry I took, it went to Jubilife City...? And... er I got lost."

"_That's totally unexpected of you_, Mr. Champion."

Intended sarcasm.

"_That's former champion to you_, Hiku-kyun!" He frowns but is unable to keep frowning since he can't help but laugh at this new Hikaru. "I think Mana-tan will be with Platz...~ It'll be fun teasing him again!"

"... P-platz?"

"Whoops. It's a nickname for this kid name Platinum Berlitz, and he's a huffy kid too. Really tsuntsun too! I think he's dere for Mana-tan...~" He pauses for a moment staring at Hikaru's face. "He looks a bit like you! But different name and younger too."

"Yeah, I know him. He's the rich brat."

"Oh you know Pla-"

Touku stares at Hikaru cocking his head sideways and blinking as he saw that his friend's mouth was in a thin line and eyes were rather more colder now.

"Did something happened between you and him?"

"Sort of. We met for a short while and he threw a fit about how I looked like him and went on ranting about being the only Berlitz heir."

He scoffs a bit.

"I ain't even a part of any Berlitz family anyway. I don't like him one bit but then he's a kid with respected status since he's a scholar in his own right."

Touku was a bit taken back at what Hikaru said and honestly didn't know what to say. He got along with his alternates! Well some... but he didn't know _THIS_ happened between Platz and Hiku-kyun!

"So you grudgingly respect him?"

Hikaru in turn stared at him as if the boy was joking.

"No. Not really. He's still is a brat."

He sincerely meant it.

"He told me to get out of his sight or he'll call a lawyer because I'm possibly an impostor. Doesn't he get that there are a lot of counterparts because the Distortion World? Despite him being a scholar in training, he sure got issues with his alternates."

"Like as if you didn't have any issues with your alternates."

"Well I got in a fight with my counterpart named Hikari."

He shrugs a bit.

"She called me a cosplayer and she seemed offended because I looked like her. But we smoothed things out and we sort of got used to the fact."

The pony-tailed boy's face turn pale for a bit and then let out a barking laughter of surprise.

"Cos..p..."

"You say that word and I'll punch you in the face like you did to me in the Pokemon Center."

Touku inhaled and turned a bit blue, soon exhaling. "I punched you?!"

"You punched me in the face when I went to see who was snoring. You stretched your arms out like as if you were yawning and you woke up still a asleep punching me in the face."

"**CHANGING THE TOPIC**!" The Unovian cried out turning flustered startling the intern. "Hiku-kyun, can I stay at your place today? I need to find Mana-tan's place eventually, but I need a change of clothes, man. Also sleep."

He points to the sun as it seemed to be setting down.

Hikaru seemed to be fuming a bit as Touku mentioned it, but lamented.

"Fine."

"By the way..." Touku drawled. "Where were we walking to?"

"The beach."

They strolled on ceasing the conversation and headed to the beach. Surprisingly, the snow didn't land on the sandy bay. The two boys looked at the waves thoughtfully, while Hikaru was thinking, '_I wonder what Junko and Koumi are doing right now. It's been a while since I've seen them._'

"What's your house like Hiku-kyun?" Touku was simply curious as he never been to the fellow boy's house before.

"Why'd you want to know about my place? There's no reason to."

"Well, I'm very curious. I'll tell you about my house first if you'd like!"

"Fine."

"Well my room is upstairs, but it still has Pokemon pawprints from the battle that held there with Renny and Alblondy." He chuckles. "My room was completely destroyed! But my mom managed to restore my room to its original state. Although the pawprints won't go away, haaa..."

"There's the living room with a wide-screen TV and the Kitchen! And my mom is the greatest cook, heck yeah!"

"Happy family huh." Hikaru noted quietly so the boy wouldn' t take notice.

"My house is small. Two stories yes, and well my room is uputstairs. Downstairs the kitchen, and living room and the television."

"What about your family?" Touku quipped. "I bet their fun and exciting too, like you!"

"As if."

"H...huh?"

"My family's bland and prideful. But not over their oldest son."

"What do you mean...?" Touku was confused now. "I'm sure their..."

"Great? Hah."

"Parents are never home; always working for the professor. I never see them only at the laboratory. They treat me like a co-worker."

Hikaru retorts monotonously, clenching his fist into a ball. He's walking faster.

"My little brother Natsu is a spoiled brat; spoiled by my parents. They give him everything. And they allow him to decide whether he wants to be a trainer, unlike me who was forced to join the lab to work. Well I enjoy being an intern, but it's unfair. He always watches TV at loud volume."

"Grandma is always sleeping or either snapping at me over something that she supposes I did."

He stops and turns his head sideways glancing at Touku.

"We may seem like a happy family, but the household is not happy with one another."

He then made a straight face that was unreadable. The young Unovian felt uncomfortable as he could read his feelings nor his face. '_What is he thinking?' _

"I'm sorry for ranting at you." He spoke slowly. "I'm not bitter as before when I was younger, but thinking of my family makes me want to go off somewhere far."

"It's totally fine."

"But-"

"I mean it." Touku affirms this again soon saying, "Anyway, aren't we friends? Friends always looked after one another, talk to each other and listen to one another! So it's fine!"

Hikaru was stunned for a bit. He didn't know that Touku considered him as a friend. "I well, I just thought we w..."

"Weren't friends? Hah, I always thought of you as a friend Hiku-kyun! Ever since we first met!" He was grinning happily not knowing that Hikaru hadn't a friend in a long time.

"I see." Behind those two words were a small smile.

By the time Hikaru and Touku arrived to the house, the house was empty which confused the intern. Until he found a note stating that his grandmother and little brother will be heading to a region to visit relatives for the week. They both looked at each other and shrugged.

"My room is upstairs towards the right." he points up the stairways. Taking off his sweater and putting a blue apron, he goes to the kitchen. "Touku do you like fried noodles?"

Before he heard an adequate answer from Touku, upstairs there was a Glameow screeching and Touku screaming as he ran suddenly tripping down the stair holding on to the Glameow falling on his back.

He stood up rubbing his face as the Glameow went off to Hikaru.

"I-I-I'm totally okay. Yeah feeling cool right now." He blubbered as he rubbed his face as he felt the stinging from the Glameow's scratch.

"You sat on him didn't you."

"I, um, well... yes." He was flustered rubbing the back of his head and glared at the cat Pokemon as it went to Hikaru.

"It's fine." he laughs as he picks up the Glameow. "Everyone in my family does it on accident sometimes. Even me." Hikaru turns around and puts the Glameow on the table. "Are you fine Xavier?"

Xavier meowed and jumped down, heading out through a seemingly large hole in the door.

"Where is that git of Glameow going?"

Hikaru stared at him for a bit and the Unovian looked away stubbornly.

"You are so childish..."

"That Glameow _scratched me_! Can't you feel some pity for me?"

"Well not really, since _you are still alive and kicking_."

The boy goes near the younger one and stares at his face who has a small frown. He stares at him for five long seconds only to flick him on the forehead.

"_Owww!_ What's that for?!"

The intern goes back to the stove stirring the noodles and the former champion grumpily sat down.

"Well you were overreacting."

Turning off the heat he grabs two plates and puts the noodles on each plate, placing one of them for Touku and one on the other side.

Before sitting down, he takes off his apron and places it on one of the empty chairs and sits down.

"Well then let's eat."

_Next Day_

The next morning, Hikaru took a shower while Touku was left on his own in the room.

He wandered around in the fellow boy's room looking around being bored. The Unovian looked through the shelves which had many books of many titles and serious topics, the untouched computer that seemed dusty never used for months, and looked at the clock crossly as it dares to strike.

While he was looking at these things the older boy owned, he came across a small wooden framed photo of what it seems to be two young girls with also a young tall boy in between smiling at the camera.

Bringing it closer to his face, Touku stared at the boy and murmured quietly, "This is probably a younger Hiku-kyun and his friends...?" As he looked at it with great curiosity.

The said younger Hiku-kyun who stood in the middle between the two girls looked mature, standing straight yet he look nervous as his eyes betrayed his mature look looking shaky. His smile seemed quite apprehensive. His pokeball insignia beanie was lopsided on his short and cropped hair with his bobby pins in disarray. His red pink scarf was rather undone, wearing a tee-shirt with no sleeves, rolled up trousers and suspenders.

The girl on the left besides him looked mischievous, smiling a sly big grin showing her teeth. Her blonde hair was spiky, yet messy like not in its original state seemingly she had no time to comb it. Her green scarf was wrapped around her neck lightly. She wore a short, rolled up sleeves, striped shirt with a large collar. She wore a mini skirt and her right arm seemed injured or strained in a swing, while giving a peace sign with her free hand.

The other girl seemed strikingly familiar to a someone that Touku knew personally, yet different personality wise. She looked gentle with a small smile and her beret was almost falling off. Her scarf was tied like a bow and her hair was long in a braid. Wearing a plain blue dress along with a vest. Her arm was placed across her chest holding her other arm, in her hand was a pokeball.

To be honest, Touku was amazed at the striking similarities and differences between Platz and Hiku-kyun, also that girl and Mana-tan. They were the exact same but personality-wise different person as they were merely counterparts. It was just mindboggling.

"What are you looking at, Toki Doki?"

The older trainer asks as he comes into the room. He was half naked, wearing no shirt only sweatpants as he dries his long hair with a towel. The former champion stared at the tall boy who looked over his shoulder. His mouth was open wide for a second but closed it in a thin line.

"Going all gung-ho, huh. You look like those warriors who goes bare showing off their abs and with all those long hair. All you need is a sword and you'd be a character from the movies."

Hikaru's eyebrows raised slightly. "I_s that a compliment, or something else? I feel like I'm being mocked and praised at the same time._" Looking over the shorter boy's shoulder, he spots the framed photo in Touku's hands.

"Oh… that photo …."

His face softens slightly looking at the picture with a gentle smile.

"You look kind of young in this picture." Touku points out as he sets down the photo. "And who are these two? You look really happy right now just seeing their picture."

"Shut. Up." But his smile doesn't fade quite a bit although he feels flustered, turning away as he put his hair into a ponytail. "This photo was taken nine years ago when I was ten years old…"

"I met these two by accident. The girl with the beret is Koumi Fujii-san, the current champion of Sinnoh region to this day. Actually this picture was taken after she battled against the Elite Four and the previous Champion and won the match-."

"Wait this girl is the current reigning champion of Sinnoh League? That's… amazing! And she still is after nine years to date?!"

"Well apparently it's tough to take the title away from her." Hikaru laughed lightly. "I don't know what she's doing now, but she sometimes leaves her post to travel."

"Oooh…." Touku was definitely amazed. One girl defeating the Elite Four and Champion and keeping her title for nine years? That's just cool.

"She looked like a friend of mine, well I guess she's the counterpart of my friend named Diamond, they look the same but Mana-tan is much younger than this Koumi."

"Hmmm. The other girl with her arm in a swing is Koumi-san's childhood friend and apparent rival when they set out on their journey. Her name is Junko Imai-san."

Hikaru twirls a stray hair.

"I don't know how the two got along…. Koumi was meek and barely spoke a word, also thinking before acting while Junko was more brash and running into things without thinking. Two sides of a coin, I guess?"

"You seem to know them quite a lot, despite the way you address them."

"I… well I wasn't that close to either of them. It was more like an acquaintances kind of relationship since I had my own things to do, although I mostly came across Koumi-san when she was on her journey."

He scratched his cheek somewhat embarrassed.

"My first impression of her was someone who was rather a quiet person who always followed her best friend, but she was rather an outspoken person who had a mind of her own. She never thought of becoming Champion, yet she told me that she wanted a huge challenge."

"Hiku-kyun, you seem to care a lot about her from the way you are talking about her." Touku has a slight thoughtful look. "Did ya like her this Koumi?"

Hikaru became startled at the question and the idea, turning pink.

"L-like? As if! She barely thought of me much, I was just a friend that helped her out. I admired her, respected her yes."

Even though he had a small smile, his voice began to crack and his hands were shaking as he spoke.

"She was a powerful trainer than me, and well I had a crush on her yes, but that faded away when she told me she had a crush on someone and she wasn't sure how to approach it. It didn't matter to me anyway. She was my friend, one of my first friends although we are hardly in contact. I'm just as happy that she succeeds in what she wants to do, so it's fine.."

Touku looked at the older boy quizzically as his voice began to tremble and blinked when he saw that Hikaru's hands were shaking slightly. At first being confused for a few minutes realizing, Hikaru was plain lying to himself about being happy.

"Even though all the things you say, it's kind of noticeable, Hiku-," He shakes his head trying to prove a point as he grabs hold of his friend's hands. "No Hikaru! You smile like it's nothing when it's really obvious. You ain't happy with it yet you try to be that good friend that doesn't complain. It doesn't seem right. Lying to yourself isn't going to work! Even if it was the easy way out, you are still hurting inside."

He became quiet again thinking of what to say. "I_ don't know how you feel, but at times like this you really need a friend and you also need a freaking hug, Hikaru Kuronuma._" Finishing his sentences, Touku pulled the researcher assistant into a hug, despite his verbal protests.

"This is so embarrassing."

Hikaru squeaked as he was being squeezed tight by the shorter and younger boy.

"Shush up and enjoy your hug."

_Afternoon_

"That was rather eventful." Hikaru comments dryly after the whole fiasco with hugging and everything.

"I didn't expect you to be the type to comfort people when their down."

"Aww is that a compliment?"

Touku grins widely.

"I, well I'm not the type of person you go to when my friends need help. I guess Albus was more fitting of it. Yet, I knew someone who had problems and she wasn't the social type. She liked the idea of Pokemon liberation, yet she wasn't sure what she was doing. Despite she end up as the bad person of the whole thing, I guess she managed to learn from her mistakes."

"Hmmm. By the way, where does this Diamond-san live?"

"Oh? Uh... Twinleaf Town! Yeah Twinleaf. Are you going to guide me there?"

"I suppose so."

"That will help a lot! You are such a nice guy!"

"I'm only doing it because you'll get lost."

"G-geh."

"Twinleaf is a short distance from here, so I know the way..."

The two boys fell into silence as they took the route to Twinleaf, jumping over small ledges, stepping in fallen snow on the ground leaving footprints.

"You know, there's this girl who came up to me asking me for a battle when I came back to Unova..."

"Yeah, so?"

"Her name is Kyou-chan or Kyouko, I ain't sure but she held me in high regard, calling me senpai and all. It made me blush so I let her have the honor to battle me."

"Good for you."

"The funny thing is that, was her battle ready position. She was squatting in the oddest way_ I thought she was gonna-_."

"Don't speak another word, because that's plain disgusting." Hikaru slapped the younger boy in the head. "And we're here... Just gotta find the house..."

"Ouch! What was... Oh okay, yeah. She said it was the house with the blue mailbox that says 'Dia.' I think."

"_You think_."

Sighing a bit more loudly with his eyes rolling in exasperation as they trudged on looking for the house bickering and laughing over petty things, until finding the said house. "Here it is."

Touku blinks for a few minutes not knowing what to do as if knocking the door wasn't the only option there for him staring at his hand. Which made Hikaru more annoyed as he himself knocks the door, then he folds his arms looking away.

"Ah-!"

Before he got to say anything, the door opened wide revealing a petite girl of four feet tall and nine inches.

Her eyes were dazzling dull grey that looked like diamonds her namesake. She looks inquisitively at the two older boys, with her mouth forming a smile.

The girl's hair was quite short cropped into a slight boyish looking hairstyle, yet the side bangs were long. Wearing a blue sweater and a red scarf with short denim pants, she pulls onto Touku's hands pulling him into the house, also inviting Hikaru.

"Touku-kun! You came! I'm really glad!" Diamond giggled slightly, then looking at Hikaru who kept blinking at her. "You must be his friend, am I right? Please, come in! It must be cold-"

"Diamond, _WHY_ _is he here_?"

A new masculine voice thundered out from the house. Hearing that voice, the researcher slightly grimaced in annoyance.

The owner of the voice stomped in with his straight posture and all. He was thin and was five feet five inches tall yet shorter than both Touku who was five feet ten, and Hikaru at six feet seven.

The way he stood was straight and proud, with his face showing mixed feelings of the two older boys. His hair was short and straight, wearing a grey sweater and black slacks.

"Hm? I invited Touku to come and play at my house. I thought you were okay with him...?" Diamond replies sweetly and slowly with a calm smile, yet holding Touku's hands not really being bothered by her friend's somewhat anger.

"I'm not talking about Touku, I'm talking about the preposterous impostor that's accompanying him!" Platinum's voice was acid like with his eyes pointedly and pointing at Hikaru haughtily.

Hikaru's fist tightened slightly but kept quiet not wanting to give the wrong impression to the girl.

"He's a fake obviously, walking around looking like me. He's an absolute nuisance to my existence, existing like that. He's not even trying to pretend to be me-"

Touku had a sharp intake of breath inhaling and closing his mouth in a thin line, while Hikaru was about to snap readily going to punch the brat, until a certain someone beat to him.

It was Diamond who let go of the Unovian's hands and holding out her hand straight towards the heir's face slapping him which made him fall down. The older boys blinked in shock not knowing what to say.

"_Master_, **no Platinum**, _if you keep acting like you own the whole world, and everyone has to bow down to you_, **I'm going to ask you to leave my sight!** What you said to Touku's friend _was extremely, just extremely rude!_"

She was hissing out words one by one glaring at the fallen heir.

"He's a human not some odd creature you can look down on. You can't just order everyone around just because you are the Berlitz heir. _You are like a spoiled brat who can't stand the sight of anyone and that is just ridiculous!_"

She spoke with the biggest voice she ever managed and glared the glare she could ever could. Still frowning, she steps aside and points toward at Hikaru while looking down at Platinum who looked ashamed as he rubs his cheeks. Diamond was speaking softly, "Now apologize, or I shall send you back home with no food."

Platinum never felt so awkward in his life as he struggled to get up. As he stood up, he looks towards his counterpart ashamed. "I... well, I overacted... now I truly regret what I said..."

"It's well... fine. I accept your apology..."

_Late Evening_

Hikaru found himself sitting on the living room couch eating variety of food while Touku was pestering Platinum elsewhere in the house.

He still felt really awkward when he saw the scene between the little girl and the tall brat. She seemed like the person you wouldn't want to piss off which surprised him at her small stature managing to startle him, when she took the first move to slap him and lecture Platinum.

While he was thinking about that scene, Diamond herself came towards the couch and sat down next to him.

"We hadn't quite properly introduced ourselves haven't we?" she grinned slightly as she goes backward to the cushion to rest her back, but the differences of height was staggering despite that Hikaru was slouching slightly.

"Oh yes... uh..." He stops short unsure what to say but she speaks for him.

"Well seeing what you of me doing to Platinum... it's kind of awkward right?" she chuckled slightly. "Don't worry, I won't slap you. But Platinum certainly deserves what he deserved. He really needs to think about where he stands... Usually I'm really calm person, but when things aren't go right or how it should be I'd really get mad."

"...You didn't seem the type to get mad, to be honest I thought you were gentle type of a person."

"Heehee. I think it was a certain person that influence me that it was okay to get mad at others and yell at them, or even flip a table if you wanted without worrying." she claimed although she had some doubts about him still. "I don't know how he's doing exactly, but I guess he's doing well~ Oops, I got off a bit off topic there."

"Uh, it's fine."

"Well then, my name is Diamond Yukimura. Nice to meet you~!" she bowed slightly and gave her hand stretched out.

Smiling a small smile, "Yes... I'm Hikaru Kuronuma... Nice to meet you as well."

"You seemed to get well along with Mana-tan!" Touku emphasized with a cheeky grin.

"Hm... She's a nice girl and that's pretty much all to it. Although she did surprise me for a bit."

"Yeah she's the type that suprises others of course. She does it without realizing!" Touku laughs. "And anyway, Hiku-kyun do you want to come along with me, Platz and Mana-tan exploring Sinnoh?"

Hikaru blinks for a bit and then before answering, he smiles a genuine smile. "Sure. I'll go Touku."


End file.
